Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-06-11
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, June 5. 1887.

LabOrers are at work in one of the
Court yards of the Treasury building
excavating for the new vault, for
which Congress appropriated $27,S4O.
This will be the largest single money
vault known. It'll to belarge enough
to hold one hundred million silver
dollars, and its full capacity willdoubt-
less be tested by the constant accumu-
lation froman annual production of
not less than twenty-four million dol
lars.
The structure is to be entirely un-
derground /; nothing is to appear on
the surface to indicate the depository
of so much wealth. The vault will
be lined with an iron case, and will
be divided into sixteen compartments
separated by iron lattice partitions.
There are to be no dark corners in
this building; the open lattice work
is adapted so that the eye can range
through all the compartments at one
glance. The entrance will be through
the endorsement of the Treasury
building, which is at all times thor
oughly guarded, and a dozen differ
ent men will be required to open the
vault, several series of unlocking be-
ing necessary, and one person will
only have the secret of one combina-
ton lock. All the known checks and
securities will be applied, and by
means of clockwork and electricity
there will be some of the locks which
will open at certain hours of the day
only to the Treasurer of the United
States.
The silver dollars in their new hab-
itation will be piled up in canvas
bags holding $1,000 each, one on top
of an other, as is now done in the
existing vaults.
The recent deaths, so close togeth-
err, Of two prominent journalists, re-
minds one of the deep swathe that
has SO lately been cut into the profess
ion of journalism. 1t is but a brief
period since Adams of the Washing
ton Star, and Billy Copeland of New
York Journal of Commerce., were
taken almost with pencil in baud, so
suddenly the summons came; and
all these mentioned were not only
connected by the bonds of fellowship
incident to a common brotherhood,
but were much intimately associated
by ties ofclosest friendship.
A prominent politician and men,
Der of Congress now in the city, says
that for nine months in the year
Washington is the prettiest and pleas
ATTEST place in. the country, and on
lyneeds better hotel accommodations,
and a large hall suitable for Conven-
tons, to make it the very place for
the next National Conventions.
AS the physical beauties of Wash
ington are already beginning to be
appreciated by the country, a glance
at the efforts being made in the di-
rection of moral cleanliness aud beau
ty in the Nations Capital would not
be amisS.
The Women's Christian Temper
ance Union has become a power in
the land, and by means of their steady
adherence to well-devised plans of ac.
ton, and of a persistence strikingly
illustrative of their courage in at
tempts to ameliorate the condition OF
their fellow-beings, the women O.
this city have at last succeeded in en-
tirely closing the bar-rooms here or
Sunday, not only in name but in
fact. They are also now engaged in
an endeavor to suppress the eXhibi'
ton Of questionable pictures used in
advertising, which while they attract
the eye and thus serve their purpose,
) also exert a most baleful influence in
: leading the imagination of our youth
f into evil channels.
= A Probation Agency, for the bene.
fit of first offenders, has been recent.
ly established, whereby unfortunate
youth who have been brought before
the Police Court may be afforded ar
opportunity of lettering themselves
thus Withholding from them the
: stigma of conviction of crime, anC
1 sentence to association with old Grim
inals, and ~endeavoring to procure
honest employment for thOsei in need
a WonIen's Refuge is in successful
operation, also, where any may fine
a welcoming smile and helpful
D hand. We have cause for congratu
%lation, that there is $50 much ofgood il
humanity, and that we live in an ag